Kelowna West: Formerly Westside Kelowna.
In the 2013 by-election Christy Clark beat her NDP challenger by a huge margin (62 per cent-30 per cent) after Ben Stewart, who won in the 2013 election, stepped aside so the premier could run.
In 2009: Ben Stewart won this riding for the Liberals, defeating NDP candidate Tish Lakes by nearly 5,000 votes, 53-29 per cent.
History & Geography: Created for the 2001 election as Westside-Okanagan, this riding encompasses downtown Kelowna and the surrounding area, along with the adjacent municipality of Westside. It also spans northward to get the homes on the west side of Okanagan Lake. The riding has never voted for an NDP candidate, although areas in Kelowna proper have supported the NDP in the past.
Candidates
Liberals – Christy Clark: Premier of B.C., Clark was first elected to the legislature in 1996. She was Minister of Education in the Liberal government from 2001 to 2004, but resigned before the 2005 election to spend more time with her family. She then became host of The Christy Clark Show on CKNW before re-entering politics. She was elected Liberal party leader in 2011, becoming the province’s second female premier.
NDP – Shelley Cook: A PhD candidate in Community, Culture and Global Studies at UBC Okanagan. Currently also leading two research studies on homelessness in Kelowna. Cook served as the executive director of the local John Howard Society for 11 years.
Greens – Robert Mellalieu: Owner/operator of a small computer support business in West Kelowna and community volunteer, he has served on a number of community associations and boards.
Independent – Brian Thiesen: An entrepreneur, Thiesen is registered as an independent, but also also listed as a candidate on the BC First Party’s website.
2017 Stats: Kelowna West
Population (2014): 59,750 (21st)
Population Deviation from Average: 12.5 per cent
Area: 1,142 sq km (34th)
Pop Density: 52.3 (55th)
Average Age: 44.1 years (26th)
English as Second Language: 12.31 per cent (58th)
Top 3 Second Languages:
German – 3.47 per cent
Dutch – 0.71 per cent
Hungarian – 0.48 per cent
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